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The Mercy Seller (The Illuminator #2)

3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 · rating details · 574 ratings · 97 reviews

In the fifteenth century, with religious intolerance spreading like wildfire across Europe, English-born Anna Bookman and her grandfather, Finn, earn a living in Prague by illuminating precious books, including forbidden translations of the Bible. Finn subscribes to the heresy that people ought to be able to read the Word of God for themselves, without having to pay a pri

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Hardcover, 419 pages

Published March 6th 2007 by St. Martin's Press (first published 2007)

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Aug 06, 2012 Kristen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-historical-fiction

This is exactly what historical fiction should be!

Prague - 1410: Jan Hus battles against the corrupt and greedy Catholic Church by carrying on the work of John Wycliffe, the first to translate the Bible into English so that the people could read God's word for themselves and see that the Church's lies, such as the peddling of indulgences, were not found anywhere in the holy book.

Two years later, after Hus had been burned at the stake, others continue to produce and distribute copies of the bann...more This is exactly what historical fiction should be!

Prague - 1410: Jan Hus battles against the corrupt and greedy Catholic Church by carrying on the work of John Wycliffe, the first to translate the Bible into English so that the people could read God's word for themselves and see that the Church's lies, such as the peddling of indulgences, were not found anywhere in the holy book.

Two years later, after Hus had been burned at the stake, others continue to produce and distribute copies of the banned English bible to allow the faithful to learn from God's word directly. Finn the Illuminator and his granddaughter Anna are two of those continuing the work of Hus.

But they must take care because the Church becomes increasingly determined to hunt down and destroy what they see as heresy. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the leader of the movement to stamp out the heretics, and he assigns Indulgence Seller Brother Gabriel the task of spying on a suspected heretic, Sir John Oldcastle by inserting himself into an abbey of nuns, also suspected of copying the banned English bibles at Sir John's behest.

The book follows the parallel paths of Anna, Brother Gabriel and Sir John as they all march inevitably toward a collision that you just know will leave no one unscathed.

The author Brenda Rickman Vantrease is masterful in how she builds and unfolds the individual stories of the three main characters, while simultaneously and subtly connecting them in what feels almost like you are watching an aerial view of Anna, Brother Gabriel and Sir John moving inexorably toward the point where their stories will intertwine. She also mercilessly builds the suspense by offering small pieces of information that make it clear the eventual collision could be explosive.

The charaters are wonderfully developed, with nobody being completely "good" or "evil" [except perhaps the Archbishop in whom I found no redeeming qualities whatsoever] and all making both good and not so good choices as the plot progresses. The excellent characterizations really make you connect to these people and become anxious about how their lives will ultimately turn out.

Anna, Gabriel and Sir John all have their own personal stories, in addition to the parts they play in the main plot - the heresy of translating the Bible into English - and the author develops these stories in as much detail as the main one which makes the book four stories for the price of one

There are also a number of supporting characters, just as well written, who add extra variety and flavour to the story by interacting with the main characters in various ways that helps develop them and the choices they eventually make.

I really enjoyed this story, and highly recommend it to lovers of historical fiction - particularly if you enjoy stories about the reformation period or the Catholic Church's corruption.

A definite winner!(less)

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Mar 01, 2012 Sophie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, anglophilia, court-politics, european-setting, religion, reviewed

Unfortunately, far into this novel I realized it was a sequel to a book I'd been eyeing for a while, The Illuminator. I still enjoyed this book without having any idea of its prequel's plot It stand well on its own.

This story focuses on the red haired Anna, (the next gen from the 1st book) a Lollard trying to make her way to England, seeking refuge from religious prosecution. We get an omnipresent view of other characters, but I was relieved that the strong willed and intelligent heroine didn't...more Unfortunately, far into this novel I realized it was a sequel to a book I'd been eyeing for a while, The Illuminator. I still enjoyed this book without having any idea of its prequel's plot It stand well on its own.

This story focuses on the red haired Anna, (the next gen from the 1st book) a Lollard trying to make her way to England, seeking refuge from religious prosecution. We get an omnipresent view of other characters, but I was relieved that the strong willed and intelligent heroine didn't take everything over. While I like such a heroine, I've read 3 books in a row now with the same archetype; a change is nice. Gabriel, who is the subject of the witty title, I enjoyed more. His outdated thinking (for modern / intelligent readers) reflects his time, and his struggle to reconcile the good of his heart with the unease he has with his actions is very gratifying. Caught between loyalties, rights & wrongs, is hard for anybody, but so much more in those days when everything was so extreme. Vantrease certainly makes the in between points of history entertaining. The story focuses on the brave who fight for what they believe is a change for the better and the strong who wish to keep the status quo, then the people in the middle, like Gabriel, who struggle to find a place to fit in once the line of right and wrong are torn down and are up for reinterpretation. Then we have Henry V, who I was really sorry wasn't more apart of the story. His coping with the change of their time was interesting since he had so much less choice than all the others, despite all that he is a king. Last was Sir John, who was more showcased than analyzed as the others were. He was so distinct and constant that the whole book might have been a "glory hallelujah" to his Martyrdom. He felt the most real as a character but the least real as a flawed HUMAN; He is a hero from a fairytale, a shining ideal that you'll rarely, if ever, find in real life. The plot is not straight forward, there are conflicts everywhere and there's no real 'Main' conflict to resolve. It might have been Anna & Gabriel's relationship, there so many open threads as though the story could go on forever, but if the point was to elucidate the chaos and unsettlement of the time then Vantreage did so. For me, this is a story about where to find "mercy" and "grace" in your own personal revolution, when your world is falling apart and you have to not only survive the change but come out of it better in mind, body, and spirit.(less)

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Dec 08, 2008 Kristen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Kristen by: my mother

Shelves: fiction, 2008-read, fiction-historical

As it turns out, this book is actually a sequel to The Illuminator. So if you liked The Illuminator, you'll probably enjoy this book at least as much if not more.

The book itself was probably not something I would have picked up on my own -- my mom was redistributing books read by herself and her sisters at Thanksgiving -- but it was interesting and entertaining enough to keep me hooked until the end. I was expecting it to be a thinly veiled "historical" romance, but it went beyond that. The roma...more

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Jan 18, 2010 Rosina Lippi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, reviewed-here

In this complex but compelling sequel to Vantrease's first novel (The Illuminator), the primary character is Friar Gregory, a young Catholic priest whose work is to sell indulgences, or forgiveness for sins, and to send the monies he collects to Rome.

But Gregory has a conscience, and his training can't override misgivings when he is dispatched by an ambitious and less than scrupulous Archbishop Arundel to spy on Sir John Oldcastle, a nobleman suspected of heresy. Arundel wants to make an exampl...more

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Dec 30, 2010 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: hist-fic

The 15th century was a time of religious conflict throughout Europe, with the Church holding out against, then persecuting, the followers of John Wycliffe. It's hard to imagine today the turmoil that surrounded the emerging belief that Christian scripture should be translated into the vernacular, but the Church feared that allowing the laity to read and interpret the Bible would free them from their devotion to the (increasingly corrupt) clergy. Within this maelstrom, author Vantrease continues...more The 15th century was a time of religious conflict throughout Europe, with the Church holding out against, then persecuting, the followers of John Wycliffe. It's hard to imagine today the turmoil that surrounded the emerging belief that Christian scripture should be translated into the vernacular, but the Church feared that allowing the laity to read and interpret the Bible would free them from their devotion to the (increasingly corrupt) clergy. Within this maelstrom, author Vantrease continues the story she began with The Illuminator, now focusing upon the next generation.

Anna Bookman has been raised by her grandfather (the "Illuminator" from the first book)in Prague, where he provided her with loving care, an upbringing as a "heretic", and training in the profession of scribe and translator. When he dies, Anna's life is in danger from the Church, and she is forced to flee in the company of a band of Gypsies. While living with them, Anna grows fond of a crippled child named Bek, and when she parts from the band to travel to England, her grandfather's homeland, she takes him with her.

Brother Gabriel, the book's "mercy seller", fervently believes in the stance of the Church, and one of his jobs is to sell indulgences at pilgrimage sites. When assigned to spy for heretical evidence against Sir John Oldham, Gabriel is uncomfortable, but decides he must do his duty.

The relationship between Anna and Gabriel develops over the course of the narrative, and while she is grateful for the assistance he gives her, she is crushed when he fails to keep his promise to rejoin her and Bek. When they meet again in England, their initially loving bond is stressed beyond measure. Sir John, and old friend of her grandfather, has taken her in, while Gabriel is set to betray him.

The Mercy Seller is packed with historical detail, not all of which is accurate (women of that era did not wear garments called blouses, for instance), but for the most part, provides a vivid picture of the times and places. The best parts of the novel deal with the active pursuits of the various characters; when Vantrease writes of Gabriel and Anna's emotional alliance, her prose becomes histrionic. I also wondered why she seems to need to insert some sort of dependent, handicapped figure in her books. Bek was interesting, but added only minimally to the storyline. Characters from The Illuminator do figure in its sequel, but it is not necessary to have read the first before the second; any unanswered questions about what came before are clarified in the closing chapters. Recommended to readers with an interest in medieval life, religion, society, and customs. (less)

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Apr 04, 2009 Margarita rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

I think I would agree with some of the other reviewers - it may not be as good as the Illuminatorin some respects, but nevertheless a good sequel of historical fiction. One does appreciate another chance to come in contact with the characters of the Illuminator and trace them for a whole new generation. The emotions and thoughts of the main protagonists are almost entirely modern, it is easy to continue their train of thought and attitude to our times in terms of religion, difference of any sort...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Mirah W rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought this was a worthy sequel to 'The Illuminator'. I was glad the author didn't have lengthy narratives going over what happened in the previous book...it was divulged as Anna learned more about her past and her family. There were some details I had forgotten from 'The Illuminator' and I liked having them revealed as Anna learned about them. The reason I gave this one 4 stars instead of 5 is that I didn't feel the same connection to Anna and Gabriel as I did with Kathryn and Finn in the fi...more

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Jan 21, 2010 Darci rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am so excited to find another GREAT historical fiction writer! I was tempted to just not read this book at all, because it's set in the 15th century, which seems like a particularly awful time to be alive. The Catholic church ruled the world, and ruled the rulers, and were ruthless. The story that Vantrease tells is gripping, full of so many emotions and so easy and fun to read. Apparently this is a sequel to her first book, The Illuminator, but I began reading it before I knew/realized that a...more

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Jul 21, 2012 Dona Krueger rated it 4 of 5 stars

The continuation of the Lollards by Ms Vantrease. Following the illuminator into Prague (then part of Bohemia) and the granddaughter, through Europe, via gypsy cavern, into France and finally back to England...where the witch hunts by king and (3) popes continue. I knew there had been two popes, but finding another was a new piece of history. Of course, gorgeous priest is conflicted over his selling of pardons - which go into the pockets of kings and church. I read it straight through - very goo...more

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Feb 29, 2012 Suzanne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, around-the-world-challenge

“Jan Hus chose an open window in the left tower of Tyn Church from which to watch the burning. This church gave him courage. It was a Hussite church, a Czech church, not built with Roman funds but built by and for the people of Bohemia. Yet even here in this sacred place, he could not stop the grinding in his gut was he watched the scene unfold below. This burning in the town square was Archbishop’s Zynbek’s declaration of war.”

The Mercy Seller is Brenda Rickman Vantrease’s sequel to her excel...more “Jan Hus chose an open window in the left tower of Tyn Church from which to watch the burning. This church gave him courage. It was a Hussite church, a Czech church, not built with Roman funds but built by and for the people of Bohemia. Yet even here in this sacred place, he could not stop the grinding in his gut was he watched the scene unfold below. This burning in the town square was Archbishop’s Zynbek’s declaration of war.”

The Mercy Seller is Brenda Rickman Vantrease’s sequel to her excellent first novel, The Illuminator. Set in Prague and England during the fifteenth century, we follow the story of a young girl who was raised by her grandfather Finn, the illuminator from the previous book. Finn and his group of friends are sympathetic to the Lollard cause, an anti-catholic collection of persons who yearn for religious freedom. As the story opens, Anna’s boyfriend is executed for heresy. The aged Finn dies soon thereafter and the authorities are clamping down on persons who own and distribute bibles translated from the Latin text. Anna must flee.

Anna’s journey takes her to France, where she falls in love with a man who seduces her and leaves her pregnant. It turns out that man is a priest, ordered by his church to seek out heresy.

Vantrease writes an exciting novel, but I had several problems with it. Being a Catholic who has studied much about the theology behind my faith, I found the character of Father Gabriel to be lacking. If he was so learned, how come he could not counter Anna’s arguments against his Church. Certainly, many were grounded. But corruption within the Catholic Church did not automatically nullify the theological principles of the faith itself. The author tried to portray Father Gabriel as a good guy, but he obviously wasn’t very faithfilled. From first seeking to to relieve his sexual desires, to easily leaving his Church later – it all seemed unrealistic and neatly wrapped up.

I also did not like the character of Anna. At first she seemed to act her age and was less outspoken. Later on, however, she becomes a reckless, outspoken fool. I am amazed that she and Gabriel could speak to each other at all, much less agree to marry.

While Vantrease uses some real history and characters in the book, I questioned some of the Lollard beliefs in the book. I’m no expert on Lollard history, but it seems a bit out there. I’ll have to do some fact checking to see if the author did indeed do her homework.(less)

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Jul 31, 2011 C.W. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Set several years after the heartbreaking end of THE ILLUMINATOR, Brenda Rickman Vantrease's THE MERCY SELLER continues the tale of Anna, grand-daughter of Finn and Kathryn, and of a new character, Brother Gabriel, a conflicted Dominican who sells indulgences but is secretly at odds with his own faith and the mysteries of his past. Hand-chosen by virulent Bishop Arundel to investigate the importation of Lollard heresies by a respected nobleman, whom the aged Arundel is determined to destroy, Gab...more

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Sep 04, 2007 Deb rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: religious, thriller, historical

Anna grew up as the granddaughter of an illuminator in Prague--an illuminator who practices the dangerous act of copying the Bible into English. Anna is devestated when a wave of persecution breaks out against those who dare to oppose the church in this way, and several of her friends--including the man she was to marry--are killed. Fleeing Prague, Anna has many adventures on her way to England, where she believes she will find safety with Sir John Oldcastle. But church officials suspect Oldcast...more

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Aug 21, 2011 Ellen Ekstrom rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow! I thought The first book, The Illuminator, was wonderful, this was even more powerful. The complexity of characters combined with the complexities of faith and life made it a fascinating story and I was disappointed that it ended. Highly, highly, recommended. Anna Bookman and Brother Gabriel are two incredible people, with real conflict and emotions, real issues that were beautifully illustrated - you got inside their skins - not to mention the mysterious abbess.

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Jan 07, 2011 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the sequel to the Illuminator. I loved it. They both deal with medieval England and the struggle many went through to translate and distribute the Bible into English and fight the corruptions of the mighty Catholic church. It well shows how powerfully political the Church was and gives a good background to the Reformation. It follows the story of Gabriel, a friar and pardoner (one who sells indulgences, or "forgiveness") who has been asked to spy on a suspected Lord with sympathies to th...more

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Aug 10, 2011 Mary B. added it

I liked this way better than its prequal, The Illuminator, and that's probably because I'm a sucker who loves happy endings. This book is slow at some points, mainly because it switches to plot lines that have no action. Admittedly its a tad predictable, but at least in the end they lived happily ever after. Even if it was in a time of religious persecution in which they had to hide their true beliefs or risk being beheaded. Yay!

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Oct 26, 2010 Lee Ellen Siders rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved everything about this book. Although it took a few pages to sort out all the characters, the prelude was well worth while. The characters are so rich and the history of the time is artfully presented through them. The mystery of how all their entertwined pasts will cross is skillfully, and somewhat teaasingly, conveyed. I would recommend this book to anyone with a love of historical fiction, romance, and mystery, as this book has it all.

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Mar 28, 2010 Jillwitucki rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wonderful book! All about the days when the Catholic church would only allow the Bible to be written in Latin, so "common" people got all their information from their Priest. Highlights those rebels who felt that everyone should have access to the words of the Lord. It was herasy to teach that people could speak/pray directly to God. Beautifully written with rich, interesting characters. Full of history.

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May 29, 2008 Stacey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics

I really enjoyed reading this book, and found it fascinating. It is about a woman living in Prague with her grandfather who make their living by illuminating books, including forbidden translations of the Bible. I found it an amazing concept that by owning a copy of the Bible translated to english, one could end up imprisoned. The woman ends up leaving Prague, and sets up stall selling books in France. She then meets a Dominican Friar who is disguised as a merchant. Their relationship begins, an...more

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Aug 19, 2008 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Historical Fiction

It's been a while since I read a good historical fiction book and I really enjoyed this one. It's set in Prague & England in the 1400s, right after Wycliffe translated the Bible into everyday English. Boy, was the Catholic Church upset about THAT! This is also during the Papal schism, when there where three popes - two Italian, one French, for those of you keeping count.

Two of the main characters are a scribe who copies the Bible into Czech from Wycliffe's English translation and a Dominican...more

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Dec 23, 2009 Pbwritr rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Not as great as her first book, but still very good. Anna, granddaughter of Fasin (sp?), is the primary character. It starts out in Prague, then Rheims, and then moves to England. Fascinating to realize the Reformation had been in process for a while before Martin Luther. Amazing to learn that writing in English was illegal! Really well-written.

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Jul 30, 2011 Beth Moorhead added it · review of another edition

Once upon a time.....books were laboriously hand copied and illustrated. Translating the Bible from Latin into the languages of the people (English, German, French) was punishable by death under church doctrine. I greatly enjoyed this 15th century look at freedom of religion, freedom of the press and a womans role in society.

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Jul 29, 2011 Laurie added it

Laurie Tomchak A good historical novel about a period I didn't know about, the Hussites and Wycliffites who were persecuted by the established church. Interesting romance between a heretical manuscript illuminator and a pardoner, with echoes of Chaucer and shakespeare

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Sep 19, 2010 Amanda Terrill Farnsworth rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really liked the Illuminator but I didn't like the way it ended without knowing more of what happened to these characters. I was glad to see it had a sequel. I absolutely love this time period and setting. I think Brenda Rickman Vantrease wrote the book well and that the story line was enjoyable. As was the Illuminator. I would definitely recommend these books.

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Jan 22, 2009 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

It was nice to read a book with grown-up taste of words and a little history. Catholic conspiracy type book kind-of. I enjoyed it and was able to slow down my reading pace. Definitly something to read on a cold and rainy day with hot tea and scones!

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Sep 15, 2009 Heather rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: gag, monks-etc, could-not-finish, fiction-lit, donate

While I thought the historical detail in this book was very thorough and interesting, the book overall didn't speak to me. The love story, which was the reason I picked this book up in the first place, was very placid, trite, unimaginative, and unengaging. The main plot was the illegal copying of certain texts, which might have been more interesting in a different format, but here it overshadowed the main characters. The secondary characters also overshadowed the main ones, being better develope...more

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Apr 02, 2009 Katie rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was ok. Not my favorite historical fiction. But still, an interesting plot. A priest in 1400s England who sells indulgences falls in love with a protestant woman--lots of twists, but the characters seem almost too modern.

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Sep 01, 2010 Amber rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book! I didn't even know it was part of a series. It stands alone really well. It took a while to get into it, but after that it was really fascinating. It takes place during the reign of Henry IV/Henry V, when Lollards were being burned at the stake for heresy for translating the bible into English. I was surprised at how much corruption there was in the catholic church.

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Jan 02, 2010 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well written historical fiction that took me right into the 1400's. I wonder if today how many of us would face what Anna faced for her beliefs. Also it made me think about power in religion and in government.

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Feb 17, 2012 Marianne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Entertaining and shows many perspectives to the reformation and inquisition but the coincidences that bound everyone together were a bit too contrived to make it excellent

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Oct 20, 2011 Analee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was an enjoyable read during my study of the Middle Ages. Interspersing historical fiction with the non-fiction makes a study more enjoyable for me.

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About Brenda Rickman Vantrease

Brenda Rickman Vantrease (born in 1945) is a former librarian and English teacher from Nashville, Tennessee. She grew up and was educated in the Middle Tennessee area where she graduated with a B.A. in English from Belmont University in 1967. During the twenty-five years she served as an educator in Nashville, she earned a masters degree and a doctorate from Middle Tennessee State University. Bren...more

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The Mercy Seller (The Illuminator #2)

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